Star Wars: Edge of Hope

Chapter Eighteen: Saints And Sinners...

General Armitage Hux looks out the large observation gallery, down into the swirling carmine coulds, pulses of red lightning illuminating the black smudges like hurricanes waiting to break free of gravity's law. The low humming of the ventilation system as it pushed oxygen rich air through the ship, Hux leans into the glass fogging it over with his breath. He takes his finger and draws a symbol from his childhood into the condensation. Then just as quickly wipes it away. The world spinning below the ship looked like a dot of vaporized blood hanging in suspension. The molecules spinning as the rest of it held still being electrified slowly by the black hits of lightning. Hux watched as it disappeared under the ship as they floated over it. He knew there was more to this little scavenger hunt of Ren's, but he couldn't prove that to the council. And until he had proof, his new Supreme Leader would have the full cooperation and support of the council, which meant Hux would have to settle for the scraps of power he deigned fit for him. Hux remembered that night in the burnt out throne room, the smell of Snokes flesh as it flopped to the floor amid the black bile leaking out of it, and the sound of Ren's breathing. He could have done the job then? He had almost hoped to find them both dead. But it wasn't going to be that easy to rid himself of Kylo Ren, and now...with the new fleet under his control...he would be all but untouchable.

First Order Command Staff: Sir? We haven't recieved anything from the planet...Should we adjust course?

General Armitage Hux: No! Ahem....No, hold this course for the time being...we'll wait. The comms signal maybe distored due to the storms. Continue to scan and alert me when the Supreme Leader makes contact.

First Order Command Staff: Yes, sir.

Soon.
The sound of the word held such promise for Hux. It was the promise of swift vengeance..it was all a matter of time before the pieces were in the right configuration and then when the opportune moment came. He would rid himself of Ren, the rememnants of the putrid Sith, and finally he would be able to give the galaxy the leader it deserved. The thought brought a smile to Hux's face as he looked out the windows counting the minutes that clicked by. It was simply a matter of time...and he had more than enough to spare.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Ben Solo began to feel himself weakening. The strain of the Bond as the Darkside's influence pressed heavily on him seeking to break his hold on his freedom and his mind. There was a thin murmuring on the edge of the shrill frequency of Dark Rey's voice, it had began to drown all other sounds out. Thunder rumbled in his ears as he fought to push the sound of her voice out of his head. But the harder he fought to banish it the less strength he had to withstand the next wave as it landed. He lay there his face pressing into the hot metal, his eye soaking up the gaseous fumes wafting through the grates, as the river of molten lava flowed over the invisible edge of the fortress into the waterfall shielding the entrance from penetration. No one could hear him, no one was coming...then on the edge of his sight there came a slow approach of powerful intent. But it didn't feel dark. In a place like this he could easily pick the threads apart from the ones belonging to the Darkside, and those which did not. And he wasn't the only one...she could feel it too...

Anakin: Ben. Ben...hear me...You need to leave this place. NOW! Ben you must succeed where I failed. The Darkside is a lie, Ben. It will show you things, promise you things it cannot give. Power to rule over life and death, it uses your strength against you. It's all lies, Ben.

Dark Rey: I sense something...someone's here...and its..a Skywalker! Oh! Oh, how absolutely delicious you brought a friend with you. Do they like to play in the dark too? Maybe we can all play a game together...won't that be fun?